1001 Nights in Hitsuzen
by flo-bizet
Summary: When a troubled king has killed every wife he's married after the first night, his advisor offers a blond man instead. By telling the king stories as a distraction, will this strange man be spared and also heal the king's heart? KFSS Based on 1001 Nights.
1. Kurogane's New Wife

**Date Written:** August 26, 2007

**Flo:** Mmmm, I feel so at peace with myself today as opposed to yesterday! I love this idea and it's stormy out, which is perfect for writing time! I love it. -_floats on a storm cloud_- You know, I really shouldn't be starting another story when I have, like, what? Two or three others to finish in the Tsubasa section alone... Oh well! This won't take long! -_continues to float_-

**WARNINGS!** Shonen-ai, but no lemon. Implied, perhaps, but I don't write those. Only read them.

**ALSO!** This is more loosely based on 1001 Arabian Nights, or whatever you want to call it, than it is the actual story. In other words, it's the concept of someone telling a king stories in order to stay alive, but other than that, it's different. I'll probably still do the main stories told that everyone knows, like Aladdin, but that's it.

**FINALLY!** This doesn't take place in specific place, but in a fantasy world.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Tsubasa Chronicles. I don't have the heart to abuse Fay that much.

**Hope you enjoy!**

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Once upon a time, in a land far away from even your dreams, there lived a young king in a shining castle. Although his childhood was full of happy memories, a day came when his parents passed away, leaving him distraught and cold towards others. Eventually, as one of his duties as king, he was required to take a bride to be his queen once he turned eighteen. He had not given having a wife a single thought and saw it as nothing more than an alliance treaty. The two had never even met before the wedding day, so the only feelings of love were imagined.

The night of their wedding, there was no act of consummation. Before they were given a chance to lay, his new wife pulled knife on him with the intention to kill. The king, however, easily overpowered her and had the woman executed the following morning. That night forever put a mistrust of women in the king's mind and he refused to believe a wife would ever be truly honorable.

Many years passed and the king married numerous women, yet never once felt they were faithful wives and executed them the next day each time. Eventually, there were no more women eligible for him to marry. The court advisor saw this, and decided to take matters into her own hands.

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"A wife isn't necessary," the king said. "They're nothing but trouble and waste of my time. Besides, it's not like I don't have any relatives to pass the kingdom down to."

The advisor calmly set down her tea and responded, "That is true, Kurogane. But it's preferred that a country's king be married in order to show a more human side to him. Though, I do wonder if it's too late for that in your case."

Kurogane regarded his advisor, Yuuko, before scoffing at her statement. "None of those women were trustworthy, and I doubt any woman is."

"Not even me?" Yuuko gave a dramatic sigh before continuing, "Really, Kurogane, we've known each other since we were little. To think that you've never thought of me as more than just another woman! You're such a brute."

"Don't give me that crap! Hell, if you weren't so damn annoying and manipulative I would just marry you out of convenience!"

Yuuko's expression turned serious again at that. "You know how I feel about such things. You need to marry someone out of love, not because it's just 'convenient,' as you so crudely put it."

"If you feel so strongly about it then why did you allow all of those women to marry me?! Let alone that first one!"

"I'm your advisor, not your matchmaker. Or I should say, wasn't."

Kurogane quickly saw where this was going and started to stand up to leave. "I don't remember giving you permission to change your position and I certainly don't approve of it. So whoever you're planning on setting me up with, send them home!"

As he left the room, Yuuko followed after, not missing a step. She knew that he would react like that, and had already planned her next fifty, if necessary, moves. This next marriage was going to work, she could feel it. "But Your Highness, that would be rude! And I'm only doing this because I care about you and the other matchmaker was obviously doing horribly at his job."

"So you took it upon yourself to relieve him of his assigned duty in favor of yourself in order to fulfill one of your fantasies?! If so, then I wish to have no part of it!"

"What do you mean, 'fantasies'? Really, Kurogane, you think much too shallowly of me. And I would recommend you to at least look at my match for you! As I've already said, it would be incredibly rude to just send them home, not to mention make our country look as though it's full of snobs. We already have a horrible reputation thanks to your paranoia."

Kurogane ground his teeth in annoyance at how right the woman was. "I see your point, but how would it come to the attention of other countries?"

"Because your new marriage is to a foreigner. A type of ambassador, if you will. It will be good to form an alliance with other countries in case of a war. We have lost many ties with our other allies, so we need to start working on that. Do you have any complaints about it?"

Yuuko looked at Kurogane with a knowing glint in her eyes. She could tell that he was desperately trying to find something wrong with the arrangement, yet nothing was being said. With a grunt, he sharply turned a corner towards the throne room where his match was waiting. Yuuko took a deep breath and went to catch up with the king.

Halfway there, she thought. She prepared herself as best she could for his predictable outrage that was sure to come as the guards slowly opened the large doors.

A few seconds passed as the two entered, until both of their eyes settled on the throne. There, lounging as if it was perfectly natural, was a lanky blonde haired man, helping himself to some fruit. Yuuko glanced at the king, who seemed to be in shock.

Well, that's kind of a good sign, she told herself. So long as he doesn't start throwing things I think that it will go well.

She was perfectly aware, however, that Kurogane had no clue who the man was. That hurdle was about to come.

"Who are you?" Kurogane asked the man as he approached, his advisor close behind. His staying calm about this wasn't surprising. Despite his needless killing of all of his wives, Kurogane was actually a good, for the most part, level headed, ruler. Some stranger sitting on his thrown was nothing, so long as they quickly learned their place.

The man looked over to Kurogane and smiled after taking a rather large bite from an apple. He set the apple aside and, gathering his elegant silks up behind him, he sauntered down to merely a few inches away from the king, making sure to lock their eyes together, exactly as Yuuko had secretly instructed.

For a while, Kurogane appeared to be entranced by the startling blue eyes, a color almost never seen in their country. He didn't look away until he realized how strange he must be acting and took a few steps back before saying to Yuuko, "Does this guy not speak our language?"

"I do," the man said, taking a step toward the king again.

"He does," Yuuko echoed. "Very well, actually."

"Fine," Kurogane grumbled. "Then answer me when I ask you a question. Who are you and what is your business here?"

"My name is Fay D. Fluorite," he said, giving an odd cross between a bow and a curtsey. "And I am here to meet you, Your Highness."

Kurogane looked confused. Yuuko noticed this and just knew he was thinking that there weren't any meetings planned for the day. "And for what purpose is this sudden meeting for?"

Fay looked confused, as if it were obvious. "Why, to marry you, of course."

Yuuko held her breath while this news sunk into the king's head. Slowly, a deep frown came upon his face and his hands clenched themselves into tight fists. He snapped his head to Yuuko and shouted, "What is the meaning of this?!"

Yuuko kept her head high as she explained, "As I've already informed you, there are no more eligible women for you in this country. Furthermore, you refuse to trust any of them for more than one night! You have absolutely no faith in a wife, so I have found you a husband, instead. If such a thing displeases you so much, then I will take my punishment without complaint."

As she waited for a response, Yuuko looked over to Fay with worry. She had already informed him of the possible consequences and the fate of the many previous wives, but for some reason Fay had taken the position without any hesitation. And he still stood only a small distance away from the king with a smile on his face. It looked to be a type of safety net for him, as if to hide his true feelings. Despite that, it was still an amazing sight to behold.

"Shut up," the king eventually grumbled. "You're just lucky that you're good at your job. What you said makes sense." Yuuko had doubted that he would sentence her to death, but it was still a huge relief to hear those words. "But that doesn't mean that I will marry this man!"

"It's no big deal to disguise him as a woman for the time being and the court has already approved of the union. Therefore, you will be married tonight."

"But-!"

"It's too late, Kurogane. You brought this upon yourself."

All Kurogane could do was mutter obscenities under his breath while Yuuko took Fay away to prepare for the wedding and what was to come that night.

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Kurogane had made up his mind right when he found out he couldn't get out of the situation he found himself in, that Fay D. Fluorite would die come morning, just like all the others. He didn't even feel like he needed an excuse to do so. "He's a man and therefore can't reproduce an heir" should have been enough. Yuuko was absolutely crazy to have pulled a stunt like that.

As for the marriage ceremony, Fay had made a surprisingly convincing women for the crowd of civilians under the balcony. And he had to admit, his exotic looks were eye catching. But as far as Kurogane was concerned, the man had just signed his death sentence.

He regarded him with annoyance as his new "wife" sat on the bed, looking at him as if thinking they were to consummate their marriage. "Is there something wrong?" Fay asked him. When Kurogane didn't answer, he added, "Kuro-puu?"

Kurogane whirled around to glare at the man before shouting, "What did you just call me?!"

"Kuro-puu. Is it wrong for me to give my husband a name to show my affection for him?" Fay smiled coyly at him, making the king grow even more infuriated. He seemed to get great pleasure by seeing him angry.

"You are to call me by my appropriate title and nothing else!"

"It shouldn't matter, really. I could call you anything I want and the outcome of punishment would be the same. Death, wasn't it?"

Kurogane growled at this. How dare he act as though he knew everything! "Don't think that just because you act out of line that it will make me more interested in you. I've had many women make that mistake and they've all received the same fate. The only thing that is gained from it is a deeper hatred from me."

"Ah, but I'm not a woman."

"What difference does that make?!"

"You tell me."

Kurogane growled again and punched a wall to let out a small amount of his growing anger. "How the hell can you be so calm about all of this?! You know that you are to die come morning, and yet you act as though it's nothing! I have had women beg me the entire night to not kill them, but you… you just sit there! What is wrong with you?!"

Fay tilted his head back, seeming to ponder this, before letting his body fall back onto the bed. "There's no point to it. You seem pretty set in your ways. I suppose I'm merely trying to make the best of this situation. You should, too."

Fay patted the bed and Kurogane reluctantly sat down beside him on the edge. He then felt arms snake around his middle and a head of soft hair nuzzle his neck. It had been some time since the king had engaged in sexual activities, and the idea was quite tempting with Fay's hot breath on his neck. However…

Kurogane swatted away the attention and said, "I'm not about to do such a thing with a man."

Fay sat back and a sigh was heard, followed by, "Then what are we going to do?"

"I'm going to sleep. You can do what you want so long as it doesn't involve me."

As Kurogane laid down, he heard Fay let another sigh out. It was tempting to turn around and smack the man. "Well, that's no fun. Two people are always better than one. Besides, you shouldn't go to sleep so early."

"Why's that?" Kurogane was surprised at himself for taking that bait so easily.

"Because it's so early and the more you sleep, the more tired you are in the morning." Kurogane turned around to face him and opened his mouth, only to not be able to think of a single thing to say. Fay was actually right about that. "So what should we do?"

Before Fay had a chance to lean suggestively closer to the king, Kurogane said, "Go read a book or something."

"A book? You have books here?"

"Yeah, go get one and read it. I don't care which, just go and leave me alone."

Kurogane made to lay back down, but Fay's voice came through again. "I would, but I find that reading is so dull. I much prefer telling stories as opposed to silently reading them." There was a slight pause before, "Would my king like to hear one of my stories? I have many."

The king contemplated this for a while. It was true that it was still terribly early and he didn't have anything to do. Normally on his wedding nights, he would end up listening to pleas for lives or put up with numerous advances in hopes of pleasing him. The times where they simply went to sleep did in fact leave him either more tired when he woke up, or even more annoying, waking up early with still nothing to do. And he hadn't heard a good story in quite some time.

"Alright, fine. I'll listen to one of your damn stories."

"Really?!" Fay threw his arms around the king and grinned into his chest until being shoved off, still smiling from ear to ear. "And I know exactly which one to start with, too!"

Kurogane sat up and reclined against some of the many pillows, Fay taking a place by his side. "It better be good."

"Oh, it will be, my king. That I can guarantee to you."

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**1.)** (side note) The stories told by Fay will all be Sakura/Syaoran ones. I might only do about three, since three is the magic number in stories, and also because they will be the main three stories known from the original book, except with many tweaks. Oh, and there will be a KuroFay bath scene, which is the main reason why I started this! XD It will probably be in the middle.

**2.)** (side note) Anybody remember the Arabian Nights mini series? I remember seeing part of it when I was… I think 11 or 12 (I'm 18 now), and it's just always stuck with me for some reason. I'd love to rent it to see all of it!

**A/N:** -_flowers surrounding Flo_- Ahhh, such a good day. So cloudy! But yes, I am quite happy with this. Semi-serious. I need to work on that in order to properly begin my original works. As most of you know, I write a hell of a lot of humors and it seems to have really helped my humorous writing. So it's practice and I'm trying out a semi-serious piece. The other totally serious one was a dud because I jumped into it too soon. Probably will delete it.

You know what to do!

Please leave a review!

As always, CONSTRUCTIVE criticism is welcomed with belly dancing lessons!


	2. Young Syaoran and the Forty Thieves I

**Date Written:** August 27, 2007

**Flo:** The thought of a type of Arabic setting is just such a romantic one, I love it! It's a shame I'm American and therefore nervous about going over to one of those countries. Though, I do have a pen pal from Istanbul, which is a plus.

**WARNINGS!** None, yet, but in future chapters heavy shonen-ai without it actually being yaoi.

**ALSO!** All of the stories told by Fay, again, will be Sakura/Syaoran and WILL NOT BE THE SAME AS THE ORIGINAL! That'd be way too much of a cop out of a story, so again, it may be the same CONCEPT but in no way could you really compare it to the original aside from plot. Think of it as a Disney movie from the 90s… Weren't those awesome?

**FINALLY!** The breaks aren't exactly where they might be in the original book, because sadly, I lost my copy a few years back and just keep forgetting to buy it again. I think I'll do that soon, though, now that I have a job and an account and stuff.

**Hope you enjoy!**

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"In a town in Persia there dwelt two brothers, both named Syaoran."

"What the hell?" the king said. "Why were they named the same thing?"

"Sh, Kuro-tan!" Fay said, Kurogane visibly tensing at the new name. "You shouldn't ask questions during a story or else the story teller will get annoyed with you! And I shouldn't tell you, but I will anyway since you'll probably keep interrupting if I don't. They were both named that because the person who told me this loved the name. Now will you please listen?" The king scowled and sunk deeper into the pillows, not entirely satisfied, as Fay continued.

"The elder Syaoran owned his own shop that sold many fine clothes and lived in great wealth, while the younger Syaoran had to maintain his own life by cutting wood in a neighboring forest and selling it in the town.

"Though Young Syaoran was happy with his life and made the best with what little he had, he couldn't help but envy his twin brother. It wasn't for his business, or his fine house, or even his wealth. It was for the slave girl, Sakura, that worked for him. Young Syaoran had fallen in love with her the first time he laid eyes on her face. He was impressed by her strong determination, dazzled by her spirit, and awe struck at her beauty. She was everything he had ever dreamed for in a woman."

"Ch', probably slit his throat for his property if she had the chance," the king muttered.

"Kuro-chuu!" Fay exclaimed. Kurogane looked over to him and had to admit that that annoyed pout was kind of cute, even if it was obviously faked. "Yuuko was right about you. But at least pretend that women are nice in stories! And no more interruptions!"

"I can't help it if your story is stupid!"

"Fine then. I guess you don't want to hear about how Young Syaoran comes across forty thieves then?"

Thieves sounded quite interesting, actually. Kurogane sighed and said, "Okay, you win. What happens next?"

Fay eyes him warily. "No more interruptions?"

"Yes, I'll be quiet. Just don't go off on something stupid!"

"Well, that depends on your definition of the word. But it's a deal! Now, where was I? Oh, yes!

"For many months Young Syaoran admired her from a distance, always too afraid of asking for her hand in marriage because he was so poor and she was already the property of his brother. He was in no place to do such a thing. So he kept working as a wood salesman and continued to keep his feelings unknown.

"Then one day, when Young Syaoran was in the forest, he saw a troop of men on horseback coming towards him in a cloud of dust. By their looks, he was assumed that they were robbers, and climbed into a tree for safety. When they came up to him and dismounted, he was able to count forty of them as they unbridled their horses and dismounted them.

"The finest dressed man among them, whom Young Syaoran took to be their captain, went a little way among some bushes toward a mountain. Curious as to what he was doing, Young Syaoran strained to hear when the Captain say, 'Open, Simsim!'

"Young Syaoran couldn't believe what he was seeing as a door opened in the rocks, and the thieves entered before the door shut again by itself. They stayed some time inside, and Young Syaoran, fearing they might come out and catch him and also wondering about what was going on, sat patiently in the tree. At last the door opened again, and the Forty Thieves came out. As the Captain came out, he turned back and closed the door, saying, 'Shut, Simsim!'

"Every man bridled his horse and mounted, the Captain put himself at their head, and they returned as they came, leaving everything as if they'd never been.

"When he could no longer see them, Young Syaoran climbed down and went to the door concealed among the bushes, and looked closely at the rocks. He couldn't find anything that resembled a door, or any indication of there ever being one. Unable to help himself, though, he stood back and said, 'Open, Simsim!' and the door he saw earlier suddenly appeared and flew open.

"Young Syaoran, who expected to find nothing but dirt and darkness, was greatly surprised to find it large and well lighted, hollowed by the hand of man in the form of a vault, which received the light from an opening in the ceiling. He saw rich bales of merchandise, silk, stuff-brocades, gold and silver in heaps, and money in leather purses. For quite some time, Young Syaoran marveled at the vast riches before him until a thought crossed his mind. He was very poor and there were many things that needed to be done, such as repairing parts of his house, that he didn't have the money for. Surely it wouldn't be anything to take a few bags of gold? His hands shook with fear that the robbers might come back as he gather some bags, tied them to his mules, hiding it all with bundles of sticks. However, he quickly told himself that those robbers must have taken it from someone else, so therefore he had every right to take it, as well.

"Using the words, 'Shut, Simsim!' he closed the door and left.

"He then drove his mules home into the yard, shut the gates, carried the money bags to his table, and emptied them out before him to see how much he had gotten. He thought about what he should do with the gold for a while before deciding that it would be too suspicious if he suddenly had so much wealth and he felt it best to go and bury the gold, only using it for emergencies.

"'I should probably measure it first,' he said. 'That way, I'll know how much I have and when using it, will remember how much is left.'

"So he ran to Elder Syaoran and borrowed a measure. Knowing his younger brother's poverty, he was curious to find out what sort of grain he wished to measure, and artfully put some suet at the bottom of the measure. Younger Syaoran went home and set the measure on the heap of gold, and filled it and emptied it often to his great content. He then carried it back to his brother, without noticing that a piece of gold was sticking to it, which Elder Syaoran immediately saw.

"'Syaoran,' he said, showing him the gold piece, 'you pretend to be poor and yet you measure gold.'

"By this, Young Syaoran perceived that through his folly his brother knew his secret, so he confessed everything and offered him a share.

"'That I expect,' said his brother. 'But I must know where to find the treasure. Otherwise I will discover all, and you will lose all.'"

"What the hell did he mean by that?" Kurogane asked.

Fay paused in his telling and put a finger to his chin in contemplation. "You know," he began, "I don't really know myself!" The king could only roll his eyes at the stupid grin he was given and waved his hand for the man to go on.

"Young Syaoran, more out of kindness than fear, told him of the cave, and the very words to use. Elder Syaoran left him, meaning to go beforehand without him and get the treasure for himself. He awoke early the next morning, and set out with ten mules loaded with large chests. He soon found the place, and the rock.

"'Open, Simsim!' he exclaimed and the rocks opened and shut behind him once he was inside. He could have feasted his eyes all day on the treasures, but he now hastened to gather together as much of it as possible. However, when he was ready to go, he could not remember what to say because his mind was too full of riches. Instead of 'Simsim' he said, 'Open, Barley!' The door remained closed. He named several different sorts of grain, all but the right one, and the door still stayed shut. He was so frightened at the danger he was in that his mind was so far from the word, it was as if he had never known it.

"It was about noon when the robbers returned to their cave, and saw Elder Syaoran's mules roving about with large chests on their backs. This gave them cause for alarm. They drew their sabers and went to the rocks, which opened with their Captain saying, 'Open, Simsim!'

"Elder Syaoran, who had heard the trampling of their horses' feet, resolved to fight for his life, so when the door opened he leaped out and threw the Captain down. It was in vain, however, for the robbers with their sabers soon killed him. On entering the cave they saw all the bags laid ready and could not imagine how anyone had gotten in without knowing their secret. So they cut Elder Syaoran's body into four quarters, and nailed them up inside the cave in order to frighten anyone who should venture in, and went away in search of more treasure.

"As night drew on, Elder Syaoran's servant, Sakura, grew very uneasy, and ran to Young Syaoran telling him that her master had gone somewhere early in the morning but had yet to return. Young Syaoran did his best to comfort her, hating to see her in such distress, and set out to the forest in search of his brother. The first thing he saw on entering the cave were the remains of him. Full of horror and grief, Young Syaoran put the body parts on one of his mules, and bags of gold to pay for the funeral and give to Sakura on the other two, and, covering all with some sticks, returned home. He drove the two mules laden with gold into his own yard, and led the other to his brother's house.

"When Sakura opened the door, he quickly said to her, 'This is the body of your master who has been murdered, but whom we must bury as though he had died in his bed. I will speak with you again and you may stay at my house later, but for now, please bear with this and forgive me for all that has happened.'

"'Please don't blame yourself,' she said with downcast eyes before he left. 'You couldn't have known such a thing would happen.'

"Syaoran smiled as best he could and thanked her for her kindness before leaving for his house to bury half of the gold."

"So he just gave her the body, all cut up and probably rank, and then left her alone with it?" Kurogane said.

"Sh!" Fay commanded. "You said you wouldn't interrupt me anymore and this is the second time since your promise!"

"And I said so long as things don't get stupid. You broke the deal!"

"I did not, that's just how it goes."

"Then I worry about whoever came up with this thing! Continue."

"Alright. You know, if you keep this up I won't remember my place. Anyway-

"Sakura, meanwhile, sought an apothecary and asked him for some lozenges. 'My poor master,' she said, 'can neither eat nor speak, and no one knows what is the matter with him.' She carried home the lozenges and returned the next day weeping, asking for an essence only given to those just about to die.

"Thus, in the evening, no one was surprised to hear the wretched shrieks and cries of Sakura and the other servants, telling everyone that Elder Syaoran was dead.

"The day after, Sakura went to an old cobbler near the gates of the town who opened his stall early, put a piece of gold in his hand, and asked him to follow her with his needle and thread. Having bound his eyes with a handkerchief, she took him to the room where the body lay and pulled off the bandage, biding him to sew the quarters together, after which she covered his eyes again and led him home. Then they buried Elder Syaoran, and Sakura followed him to the grave, weeping and tearing her hair. The next day she went to live with Young Syaoran.

"Young Syaoran found that it was rather difficult to treat Sakura as a mere slave, and soon realized that he was acting as though she were his wife. It seemed so natural. So it wasn't long before he confided to her the secret of the Forty Thieves' cave and the large amount of treasure there. Sakura was incredibly impressed by all of this and agreed to never tell anyone of it. It was their secret for no one else to know of.

"Meanwhile, the Forty Thieves on their return to the cave were astonished to find Elder Syaoran's body gone along with some of their money-bags.

"'It seems we are discovered,' said the Captain, 'and shall be ruined if we cannot find out who it is that knows our secret. Two men must have known it. We have killed one, we must now find the other. To this end one of you who is bold and artful must go into the city dressed as a traveler, and discover whom we have killed, and whether men talk of the strange manner of his death. If the messenger fails, he must lose his life, lest we be betrayed.'

"One of the thieves volunteered for this task and after the rest had highly praised him for his bravery, he disguised himself. He happened to enter the town at daybreak, just by Baba Mustapha's stall. The thief greeted him good-day, saying, 'Honest man, how can you possibly see to stitch at your age?'

"'Old as I am,' replied the cobbler, 'I have very good eyes. And will you believe me when I tell you that I sewed a dead body together in a place where I had less light than I have now?'

"The robber was surprised at his good fortune, and, giving him a piece of gold, requested to be shown the house where he stitched up the dead body. At first Mustapha refused, saying that he had been blindfolded. But when the robber gave him another piece of gold, he began to think he might remember the way if blindfolded as before. They succeeded and the robber partly led him, and was partly guided by him, right in front of Elder Syaoran's house. The robber marked the door with a piece of chalk in order to remember where it was. Then, well pleased, he bade farewell to Baba Mustapha and returned to the forest.

"Later that day, Sakura was going out and saw the mark the robber had made. She quickly guessed that some mischief was brewing, and, fetching a piece of chalk, marked two or three doors on each side without saying anything to Young Syaoran.

"The thief, in the meantime, told his comrades of his discovery. The Captain thanked him, and had him show the house he had marked. But when they arrived, they saw that five or six of the houses were chalked in the same manner. The guide was so confounded that he knew not what answer to make. When they returned he was at once beheaded for having failed.

"Another robber was dispatched, and, having won over Baba Mustapha as well, marked the house in red chalk. But Sakura, being again too clever for them, repeated her previous actions, causing the second messenger was put to death as well.

"The Captain now resolved to go himself, but, wiser than the others, did not mark the house. He instead looked at it so closely that he could not fail to remember it. He returned and ordered his men to go into the neighboring villages and buy nineteen mules and thirty-eight leather jars, all empty except one, which was full of oil. The Captain put one of his men, fully armed, into each and rubbed the outside of the jars with oil from the full vessel. Then the nineteen mules were loaded with thirty-seven robbers in jars, and the jar of oil, and they reached the town by dusk."

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Fay suddenly stopped in his telling and began to lay down, as if he was planning on going to sleep. This greatly confused the king because the story hadn't appeared to be finished quite yet. And though he hated to admit it, he wanted to know what happened to Young Syaoran and what the Captain was planning.

"Hey," he said, shaking Fay's shoulder. "What are you doing?"

"Trying to sleep," Fay responded, rolling over to face Kurogane. "It is the middle of the night, after all."

"But is that the end of the story? What did the thieves do?"

Fay grinned up at him and poked his nose. "I didn't think you were so interested in my story, Kuro-rin!"

Kurogane growled and swatted the hand away from his face. "I told you to call me by my proper title! And it's not unusual to just want to know how a story ends!"

"That's true. However, there is still quite a bit of story left to tell and I'm afraid that it will begin to get lighter outside by the time I finish. If so, then you'll be too tired to carry out your duties tomorrow. We can't have that, now can we?"

Kurogane glared at the man looking up at him and dropped back onto his side of the bed. "Fine. But I expect to be told the rest tomorrow."

"As you wish, my king."

Kurogane could have sworn he heard some type of small laugh after that.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

**1.)** Out of curiosity, tell me which Syaoran in this you think is C!Syaoran and which is R!Syaoran. I might say at the end of the Part II, but I just want to know if it was obvious or not, along with people's perception of each one's personality. Shoot, I'm still trying to figure them out, actually.

**2.)** I know that most people use "Open, Sesame" instead of "Open, Simsim," but the second one was what my mom read to me in her shortened version. Imagine how shocked I was when I reread it when I was older and saw how much longer it was! It's a shame we lost it in a move… I'm going to reorder that book soon.

**A/N:** And that's Part I of Young Syaoran and the Forty Thieves! Rather hard to tweak. Ugh, I HATED how long Cassim's part was drawn out! I know that it's important to the story, but it was fairly dull. I hope that that ended in enough of a cliff hanger. Soooo, what does everyone think of this little ditty so far? Don't worry, it will get hotter.

You know what to do!

Please leave a review!

As always, CONSTRUCTIVE criticism is welcomed with directions to the cave of the forty thieves! (Don't blame me if you killed cut into pieces)


	3. Young Syaoran and the Forty Thieves II

**Date Written:** August 27, 2007

**Flo:** It's quite simple to start the second part. I just basically typed up the story, then found a spot to cut it in half with a cliffhanger, followed by the Kurogane and Fay interactions, and BAM! We got ourselves not one, but TWO chapters in one to two sittings! How awesome, right?

**WARNINGS!** None, but again, heavy shonen-ai for future reference, but still no actual yaoi.

**Note:** If I had to give a guesstimation, I'd say that this will be roughly eight or ten chapters. I'm starting to wonder, though, if I should do Aladdin or not just because my tweaking might be too Disney-esque, you know?

**And DAMN this is a long chapter!**

**Hope you enjoy!**

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Kurogane squinted as the early morning rays began to peak through the curtains of the bed. It was too early, in his opinion. No matter what the sun said. He was about to roll over to fall back asleep, when he remembered what he would be facing if he did so. Fay. The man he had been forced to marry the previous day and who seemed to not care about Kurogane's complete disdain for him and the fact that he was probably going to be killed that day. The same man who told him that strange tale of a boy and forty thieves and a mysterious cave, then stopped before the leader of the thieves was just about to get revenge, leaving many questions unanswered.

Instead of forcing himself to simply deal with the sunlight or his "wife," Kurogane dragged himself out of bed. Unused to being considerate of his new wives in the mornings, he didn't think to be quiet in order to let Fay sleep. He slightly regretted such a thing when he heard a groggy, "Kuro-rin?"

Without a greeting, Kurogane growled, "It's Kurogane, to you. I've told you that."

"And I've told you it doesn't matter what I call you. My fate is the same, right?"

Kurogane turned around to yell at him out of annoyance of the fact that he was correct, but hesitated when he saw him. He looked different. As opposed to the nonchalant character from the night before, this Fay looked very ethereal. The sunlight was making it's way through the still closed bed curtains and casting it's light around him, making him appear to glow. The satin sheets wrapped around his body and hung slightly off of him, as if giving a small glimpse of a gift ready to be unwrapped. And his eyes, the way there were half closed resembled a bedroom gaze. For a slight moment, Kurogane felt a strong urge to go back to bed and into this man's arms and stay there where it was surely warm.

Those thoughts were cast aside as a banging on the chamber doors resounded throughout the room. With a deep breath, Kurogane settled and said, "You may enter."

"Good morning, Your Highness," a guard greeted with a bow upon entering. "I was sent here to retrieve your new, um, wife to be prepared for the execution."

Unintentionally, Kurogane's eyes traveled back to Fay and locked with his blue gaze. It was only for a second, but that was enough to cause an unfamiliar feeling to bubble to the service: hesitation.

"Not now," Kurogane muttered.

"E-Excuse me, Your Highness, I didn't hear you."

"I said not now. We'll discuss the execution arrangements later. You have my permission to inform Yuuko of this, but also tell her to not bring it up until I say so. Understand?"

The soldier stared in disbelief before catching himself and saying, "Yes sir! I will do exactly as you have ordered!"

"Good. Now leave."

The doors quickly shut, leaving the two alone again and Kurogane frustrated with how things had somehow turned out. With a chuckle sounding behind him, he gritted his teeth and faced Fay again. "What?" he asked.

"Nothing," Fay said while slipping on a nearby robe. Kurogane's, to be specific. "I feel honored that you want to make my execution special. It shows that you see me in a different light than your other wives."

"Of course I do! You're a man! And you have it completely wrong. I simply am postponing your execution in order for you to tell me the rest of the story from last night."

"Is that so? Well, I'm afraid that from what Yuuko told me of you life yesterday, we don't have time at the moment. You have so many people to meet and discuss documents with and I think that we still wouldn't be able to finish the entire story even when we meet for dinner. And of course you can't just chat with your wife the entire meal. It would be rude! So it seems that we have no choice but to wait until later tonight, huh?"

Kurogane eyed Fay for a while before mumbling a, "Yeah." He then went to go get dressed for the day.

UuUuUuUuUuUuUuU

"I suppose your wife must have been a fantastic bed mate," Yuuko said while she and the king drank their afternoon tea.

"Don't say such crude things," Kurogane said. "I'm more interested in what you have to say about the current ally arrangements."

"They're fine. So which one of you, shall we say, 'took the lead' last night? Or do you need me to lend you a book for that?"

Kurogane nearly slammed down his cup as he stood up, his rage getting the better of him. "We didn't do anything! We merely talked!"

Yuuko paused, clearly shocked by this announcement. "You talked? Frankly, Your Highness, that is more of a surprise than the two of you consummating your marriage. Do you honestly think I would believe such a thing?"

"It's the truth," Kurogane said as he sat back down. "He told me some story about a kid and some thieves and a treasure."

"Sounds exciting. How did it end?"

"I don't know. He didn't finish it."

Yuuko paused again as she regarded Kurogane. He didn't seem to be lying. And if he was, she certainly didn't understand his reasons for making up a story like that instead of saying that they simply went to sleep. Not to mention he would actually have come up with a supposed story he told him. That would be too much work for a mere lie.

Yuuko smirked.

"What?" the king growled.

"Nothing. Why? Does it look like something?"

"You look like you've won some kind of game."

"We're not playing a game, Your Highness. We're running a country."

"Could have fooled me with the way you act sometimes."

"Enough of this banter, it's rather boring. Onto more important matters! Would you or would you not like to borrow that book I mentioned?"

Kurogane got back up from the table and made for the door as Yuuko continued shouting questions that only made him slam it hard enough to rattle the china. Yuuko couldn't help but chuckle at his display. However, most of it was for the fact that already her plan was working.

When she had met the strange man a few months ago, she knew that there was something about him that somehow connected to the king. That feeling only grew stronger once she saw the two of them side by side. It was as if there was a red thread that tied them together.

"Just don't get too relaxed," she told herself. It was still only the second day, after all. And once Fay's story ended, then what was next?

UuUuUuUuUuUuUuU

"Welcome back, Kuro-pipi!" Fay cheered as soon as Kurogane walked through the bedroom door. He had that stupid smile on, too. "How was your day?"

"Long and annoying," Kurogane said. "So shut up and just finish that story."

"What story?" Kurogane glared at the man. He just kept grinning from ear to ear.

"Don't screw with me." He immediately put his hand over Fay's mouth to prevent the obvious joke he was about to make. "Just shut up and finish that damn story."

Once the hand was taken away, Fay started back up again. "Hm? But Kuro-chuu, if I 'shut up' as you so rudely put it, and to your marriage partner, then I won't be able to talk! And if I won't be able to talk, how can I finish the story? You should really think about these things before you say them. I think that I may need to work with you on your speech if you are to meet with the emperor of Clow next-"

"Damn it, idiot! I don't want to put up with your stupidity! All I want is to find out what the hell happens to the kid in the story, already!"

Kurogane sighed as he practically fell onto the bed, face buried in a pillow as he muttered more obscenities. He couldn't figure out what on earth was wrong with this man. Moreover, why he was putting up with it for a stupid story? It was most likely written somewhere in his library, anyway. There were very few things that weren't. And if for some reason it wasn't, he could torture the blond man for it.

However, as the idea sounded more and more appealing, Kurogane felt hands placing themselves on his back and beginning to massage all of the knots out. "I take it you had a long and stressful day?" he heard Fay say in a soft and surprisingly soothing voice.

Kurogane grunted in response.

"Well then, just lay there and relax, okay? In the meantime, were we at the part where the Captian was making his way to Young Syaoran's house to extract his revenge?" Another grunt. "I see. Well...

"The Captain stopped his mules in front of Young Syaoran's house, and said to Young Syaoran, who was sitting outside for coolness, 'I have brought some oil from a distance to sell at the market tomorrow, but it's now so late that I don't know where to pass the night, unless you will do me the favor to take me in?'

"Though Young Syaoran had seen the Captain of the robbers in the forest, he did not recognize him in the disguise of an oil merchant. He welcomed him, opened his gates for the mules to enter, and went to Sakura to have her prepare a bed and supper for his guest. He brought the stranger into his hall, and after they had eaten, went again to speak to Sakura in the kitchen, while the Captain went into the yard under the pretense of seeing after his mules, but really to tell his men what to do.

"Beginning at the first jar and ending at the last, he said to each man, 'As soon as I throw some stones from the window of the room I'm in, cut the jars open with your knives and come out. I will then be with you in a trice.'

"He returned to the house, and Sakura led him to his chamber. She then told Tomoyo, her fellow slave, to set on the pot to make some broth for her master, who had gone to bed. Meanwhile, her lamp went out, and she had no more oil in the house.

"'Don't worry,' said Tomoyo. 'Go into the yard and take some out of one of those jars.'

"Sakura thanked her for her advice, took the oil pot, and went into the yard. When she came to the first jar, the robber inside said softly, 'Is it time?'

"Sakura started at this unexpected happening, but did not scream. She, knowing the danger Young Syaoran was in, thought of a way to cover her surprise up. She lowered her voice as best she could and answered quietly, 'Not yet, but soon.'

"She went to all the jars, giving the same answer when coming across more robbers, till she came to the jar of oil. She now saw that her master, thinking to entertain an oil merchant, had let thirty-eight robbers into his house. She filled her oil pot, went back to the kitchen, and, having lit her lamp, went to Young Syaoran's chamber.

"'Robbers?!' exclaimed Young Syaoran.

"Sakura hushed him and said, 'They don't know that they have been discovered. I assume that that merchant is their leader, though, and is planning something.'

"'Then we must figure out a way to stop them.'

"Sakura went again to the oil jar and filled a large kettle full of it. When it boiled, Young Syaoran went and poured enough oil into every jar to stifle and kill the robber inside. When this brave deed was done, he went back to the kitchen, put out the fire and the lamp, and waited to see what would happen with Sakura.

"In a few minutes, the Captain of the robbers awoke, got up, and opened the window. When he felt that all was quiet, he threw down some little pebbles hitting the jars. He listened, and as none of his men seemed to stir he grew uneasy, and went down into the yard. On going to the first jar and saying, "Are you asleep?" he smelt the hot boiled oil, and knew at once that his plot to murder Young Syaoran and his household had been discovered. He found all the men were dead, and, missing the oil out of the last jar, became aware of the manner of their death. He then forced the lock of a door leading into a garden and climbed over several walls made his escape. Young Syaoran and Sakura heard and saw all this, and, rejoicing at her success, went to bed and fell asleep.

"The next morning, the household buried the bodies and sold the oil and mules themselves, creating a large profit for Young Syaoran.

"'I don't know how to repay you,' Young Syaoran told Sakura later that day. 'If it weren't for you, our entire household would surely be dead.'

"Sakura blushed at the praise and answered, 'You do not have to do anything. I know you would have done the same for me, as well.'

"But Young Syaoran would have none of it. He gave Sakura her freedom and then asked her to be his wife, to which she happily accepted. A few days after, the wedding was celebrated with greatest splendor.

"The Captain returned to his lonely cave, which seemed frightful to him without his lost companions, and firmly resolved to avenge them by killing Young Syaoran. He dressed himself thoughtfully and went into the town, where he took lodgings in an inn. In the course of many journeys to the forest, he carried away many rich things and much fine linen, and set up a shop opposite that of Young Syaoran's. He called himself Fei Wong Reed, and as he was both civil and well dressed he soon made friends with Young Syaoran's, whom he was continually asking to sup with him.

"Young Syaoran, wishing to return his kindness, invited him into his house and received him smiling, thanking him for his kindness.

"When the merchant was about to take his leave, Young Syaoran stopped him, saying, 'Where are you going in such haste? Will you not stay and sup with me?'

"The merchant refused, saying that he had a reason. And, on Young Syaoran's asking him what that was, he replied, 'It is that I can eat no victuals that have any salt in them.'

"'If that is all,' said Young Syaoran, 'let me tell you that there shall be no salt in either the meat or the bread that we eat tonight.'

"He went to give this order to Sakura, who was very surprised.

"'Who is this man,' she said, 'who eats no salt with his meat?'

"'He is an honest man, Sakura,' returned her husband. 'So there is no need to worry.'

"But she could not withstand a desire to see this strange man, so she helped Tomoyo to carry up the dishes. At first, she did not recognize him but felt he looked familiar. However, when Young Syaoran excused himself to check on the dinner preparations, Fei Wong Reed readjusted a dagger he was carrying under his garment, causing Sakura to remember the merchant from a few months ago as the man who sat at their table.

"'I am not surprised,' she said to herself, 'that this wicked man, who intends to kill my husband, will eat no salt with him. I will stop his plans.'

"She sent up the supper by Tomoyo, while she made ready for one of the boldest acts she had ever thought of. When the dessert had been served, Fei Wong Reed was left alone with Young Syaoran, whom he thought to make drunk and then to murder. Sakura, meanwhile, put on a headdress like a dancing girl's, and clasped a girdle round her waist, from which hung a dagger with a silver hilt, and said to Tomoyo, 'Take your tabor, and let us go and divert Syaoran and his guest.'

"Tomoyo took her tabor and played before Sakura until they came to the door, where Tomoyo stopped playing and Sakura made a low curtsey. Young Syaoran was very surprised by this act, thinking it out of character for his wife, but didn't want to cause a scene in front of his guest and merely said, 'This is my wife.'

"Fei Wong Reed was by no means pleased, for he feared that his chance of killing Young Syaoran was gone for the time being. But he pretended to be eager to see Sakura, as Tomoyo began to play and Sakura to dance. After she had performed several dances, she drew her dagger and made passes with it, sometimes pointing it at her own chest, sometimes at her husband's, as if it were part of the dance. Suddenly, out of breath, she snatched the tabor from Tomoyo with her left hand, and, holding the dagger in her right hand, held out the tabor to her master. Young Syaoran took a hint and put a piece of gold into it, and Fei Wong Reed, seeing that she was coming to him, pulled out his purse to make her a present, but while he was putting his hand into it Sakura plunged the dagger into his heart.

"'Sakura!' cried Young Syaoran. 'What have you done to ruin us?!'

"'It was to preserve us not to ruin us,' answered Sakura. 'See here.' Opening the false merchant's garment, she revealed the dagger to Syaoran's surprise. 'Remember, he would eat no salt with you, and what more would you have? He is both the false oil merchant and the Captain of the Forty Thieves.'

"At the end of a year, Young Syaoran, hearing nothing of any remaining robbers, set out to the cave. The door opened on his saying, 'Open, Simsim!' He went in, and saw that nobody had been there since the Captain left it. He brought away as much gold as he could carry, and returned to town. When he and Sakura had children, he told his son, when of age, the secret of the cave, which his son handed down in his turn, so the children and grandchildren of Young Syaoran and Sakura were rich to the end of their lives."

UuUuUuUuUuUuUuU

"The end," Fay said with a pat on Kurogane's head. Kurogane ignored it as he sate back up and faced the man. He stretched his back a bit to be surprised at how good it felt after that massage. "Did Kuro-rin like my story? You must have since you didn't interrupt this time."

"It was okay," Kurogane said. Of course he would never admit to actually liking it, or the fact that it was really the back rub that kept him quiet. If he did, Fay might get ideas in his head. However, it was probably too late for that. He got that idea from how Fay latched himself around Kurogane's waist.

"You know," Fay began as he coyly peeked up at the king, "if you liked that one, then you're sure to like the tails of Sinbad the Sailor."

"Who's that?" Kurogane regretted that once it came out of his mouth.

"A sailor, of course!" Fay pulled back and sat on his legs as he smiled at the king's curiosity. "There are many, many stories of his journeys. It begins with him poor because he spent all of his father's money that was left to him, so he goes out to restore it."

"That's stupid. He should have been more responsible!"

"If he was, then there would be no reason for him to go out to sea, making there be no story. Honestly, Kuro-tan, I don't see why such concepts are difficult for you!"

"Shut up! What exactly does he do?"

Fay laughed, making Kurogane grow frustrated again. "I told you, there are many stories about him and they are also very long. I won't be able to tell you them all tonight."

Kurogane narrowed his eyes, seeing where this was going. He wasn't stupid, after all. It was painfully obvious that Fay was counting on his curiosity about these stories to keep himself alive. He had to admit, it was clever. And even though he found it demeaning, he was very tempted with this new story.

"Fine," he said. "Then tell me tomorrow night."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

1.) Elder Syaoran was C!Syaoran. Young Syaoran was R!Syaoran. Yay for the people who got it! I'm not saying that the personalities depicted here were how I see them. It just sort of happened that way. I honestly don't know which one is technically more of a good guy than the other. I mean, yeah, C!Syaoran is of course seriously bad right now, but it's because he doesn't have a heart. I think that there's a possibility for him. I miss old Syaoran, almost as much as old Fay. -sniff- Though, I did read the spoilers for 167... -holds in fangirl squeal (which is very difficult!)-

A/N: If this was crack, it would be sooooo much easier. I think I'll try to find a specific love story in order to get more Sakura/Syaoran fluff. Not necessarily next, but somewhere here. There wasn't enough in this one and it kind of bugged me. But I like the story itself. Except for Cassim. Huzzah for the next chapter which is my entire reason for starting this! BATH SCENE! But in the meantime:

You know what to do!

Please leave a review!

As always, CONSTRUCTIVE criticism is welcomed with henna tattoos!


	4. But is it Love?

**Date Written:** March 12, 2008 (but published on May 23, 2008... eh heh heh…)

**WARNINGS!** Foreplay! Well, kind of.

**Hope you enjoy!**

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

It had been nearly six months since Fay had arrived at the palace to be married to the king, and he was still absolutely amazed at the architecture. Every room seemed to have large, impressive mosaics, marble pillars with gold decoration, and statues that looked as if they could reach out and take your hand at any moment. Everything was very detailed and Fay found that he could spend hours staring at the simplest of things. Even the bathing room he was in was exquisite, the tiling resembling the ornate decorations of the thrown room. It was this that he was very thankful for. So long as he was distracted by such beautiful art, he didn't have to think of (or in this case, look at) Kurogane.

His husband was absolutely nothing like Fay had imagined him to be. True, he yelled a lot at very small things, enjoyed fighting to an almost unhealthy extent, and was easy to anger. This was all very clear the first few weeks. He was still yelling at Fay for simply giving him different, and much cuter, names. And yet, as time had passed, Kurogane appeared to grow to actually, somewhat, care for him. It wasn't by much, but it was the little things that you had to look for. Like letting him have the last piece of cake, or asking if everything was okay when Fay got occasionally homesick, or even going so far as to take his hand to help him across a fairly large puddle. Of course, all of these affections were brushed off as having to look out for him since Fay was an "idiot" and unable to do so himself. But the blush on his husband's cheeks always gave away that it was something a bit more complicated than that.

Fay couldn't help but chuckle at the warm memories.

"What's so funny?" a gruff voice asked.

Fay turned his head slightly to look over at Kurogane pushing himself out of the large pool. He quickly turned back around, not wanting to been seen so flustered by the king's nakedness. Even though he was in the same state and they had shared a bath many times, as it was expected of the couple, Kurogane had never been so… relaxed in the other's presence. He always seemed to want to get in and out quickly and not be anywhere near Fay during the entire time. Yet in the past few weeks, he appeared to be less and less demanding of his own space and more inclined to be close to Fay.

Not that Fay was complaining. No, it simply was an overwhelming thought that Kurogane might possibly be attracted to him. Did that mean he loved him, though?

"You're answering me," Kurogane said, now sounding much closer. Fay stiffened at the contact of a cool, wet hand on his bare shoulder and warm breath on his ear. "What's so funny?"

Fay tried to distract himself from the unusually close contact by scrubbing at his arm. "Nothing," he said, normal cheer in his voice. "I was just remembering how cute Kuro-tan is when he's blushing."

Kurogane made a "tsk" sound at this. "I've told you hundreds of times to call me by my real name, haven't I? Or do you have selective hearing?"

"The second."

Fay heard another displeased sound before feeling Kurogane bury his nose in his damp hair affectionately. It sent a shock up Fay's spine to be, quite frankly, cuddled by the harsh king. It was quite obvious what he was wanting to get and Fay was more than willing to comply. However, there was still the matter of his stories. His last one, which he had started two months ago, had finally ended the previous night. He needed to start another one tonight or there was the likelihood of his execution the next day, after Kurogane had sated his needs. The guards were still coming in every morning, asking about Fay's fate, so it was obvious that it was still a very real possibility.

At that thought, Fay felt is necessary to make Kurogane work for it in order to try and keep him interested. By his fighting habits, he mostly enjoyed things that were challenges and so it would be boring to simply let him have his way with no struggle, wouldn't it? At least, for Fay it would. And Fay's thinking had gotten him a much longer spot at the king's side than any other of his previous partners.

Gracefully, he slipped out of Kurogane's touch and into the bath, barely making the water ripple. Looking over his shoulder again, he was met with a very adorable look of confusion from Kurogane.

I wonder if he's ever been refused before? Fay thought.

Not often, it seemed, since Kurogane was soon scowling again and coming in after him. It was all very amusing, seeing such a look of determination from him. Fay couldn't blame him, though. Six months was a terribly long time for abstinence. It had taken all of his might not to just throw himself at the king, but rape would probably send him even faster to his death, unfinished story or not.

Smirking, Fay turned around to fully face Kurogane. "Is there something my Kuro-chuu desires from me?" he asked, not bothering to hide the teasingly sultry tone in his voice.

"Yeah, I desire for you to stop being an idiot for the rest of the night," Kurogane responded. "And that's an order, got it?"

"Of course, dear! However, all night is a long time. I'm not sure I have that kind of… stamina."

"Shut up!"

Fay quickly swam backwards to avoid the king splashing him with a large wave of water. It surprised him that Kurogane would do something slightly childish like that, but at the same time it was endearing for him. Chuckling, Fay continued to slink back in the water while Kurogane dutifully followed him, neither breaking eye contact.

"How many wives have you consummated a marriage with?" Fay asked, no longer trying to rile up his husband.

"Why?" Kurogane asked in return.

"Just something I'm curious about. I think I have a right to know, being your husband and all."

"You're not my husband! You're just some foreigner who…"

"Who you're married to?"

At that, Kurogane lunged himself at Fay. Only, not with the intention of love making, but with the intention of killing him. Fay merely ducked under the water to avoid this and swam under and behind the small water fall.

Upon surfacing, Fay found it to be quite lovely in the small, man made cave. He'd never bothered in the past to go inside of it, since it was just for decoration. Not to mention that the bathing pool was one of the few places Kurogane would not try to kill him since he was always in such a hurry. It was really a beautiful little space. The light from the water reflected all around him in the dark spot and the cascading water in front gave a mysterious secrecy to it. It was rather romantic.

Looking through the water fall, Fay saw Kurogane actually glancing around the pool for him. Thankfully, it seemed he had quickly calmed down and had decided that he didn't want to strangle his husband anymore. If Fay didn't know better, he would say that he actually looked concerned. With a smile, Fay remembered that, according to the king, he didn't know better so therefore, Kurogane was, in fact, concerned about him. It was sweet.

"Kuro-rin," Fay said, just loud enough that he knew Kurogane would hear him.

When he saw his face turn towards him, Fay put one of his hands through the fall and curled his finger as a sign for him to come.

Just like a puppy, Kurogane slowly came to him, coming through the water fall none too delicately, yet somehow still appearing Adonis-like. He leaned over Fay, placing one hand onto the stoned wall beside Fay's head and the other firmly on his hip, causing Fay's breath to hitch slightly at the touch.

"What the hell are you doing?" Kurogane asked.

Fay shrugged. "It's pretty in here, don't you think?"

Kurogane shrugged then moved to rest his head on Fay's shoulder. "Only you would think that something so pointless could be of value." As he said those words, his lips moved against the skin of Fay's neck.

Almost kisses.

The two had never been so close before on purpose like this, and certainly not when they were naked and wet. It was exhilarating and scary, as the situation seemed to fully dawn on Fay what his husband wanted to do after so long. And he wanted the same thing so badly that it almost hurt. However…

"Kuro-sama," Fay whispered.

Kurogane didn't say anything.

"This… reminds me of a story."

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**A/N:** -_hides from pitchforks and torches_- **I'MSORRY!I'MSORRY!I'MSOOOORRRRYYYY!!** I really am! It's just that, I was trying to find a good romance story for Fai to tell and I couldn't and then this wasn't to my liking when I wrote it but now it is and I'M SORRY!! **PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF SHONEN-AI, SOMEBODY GIVE ME A GOOD ROMANCE STORY!!** Brain is dead.

You know what to do!

Pleas leave a review!

As always, CONSTRUCTIVE criticism is welcomed with a map to the bathing room.


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